The present invention relates to exercise apparatus and more particularly to an improved swimming exercise and training apparatus.
Sport physiologists agree that doing the actual exercise is the most beneficial way to train; that is, runners should run, cyclists should cycle and swimmers should swim.
Swimming is the most efficient and least injurious exercise form presently available. It is highly desirable in that it provides exercise to practically all muscle groups within the body. In another aspect, it is highly aerobic and able to provide a highly desirable cardiovascular exercise regime to a user without the risk of localized injuries found in other modes of exercise. It is more rapidly accomplished than brisk walking. Swimming is susceptible to fewer injuries than the more stressful exercise of jogging or running with the proportionate risk of knee or ankle injury as a result of pounding during running. Swimming additionally is more aptly effective throughout the body as opposed to bicycle riding which is primarily exercise of the legs. In all regards, swimming is more desirable in that it provides a higher and more distributed aerobic load to the user with reduced localized impact, and is desirable from all points of view for these factors. Swimming, however, requires physical competency and to some measure requires endurance training. Once the requisite skill has been developed by the user, then some measure of self-satisfaction can be achieved by the user in performing swimming strokes with a reasonable stroke efficiency.
Swimming exercise and training apparatus enabling a user to exercise and/or train outside a pool or other body of water are known in the prior art as represented by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,830,363 and 4,844,450 and the various U.S. patents referred to in these two patents. The prior art swimming exercise and training apparatus enable the user to perfect leg kicks and arm movements or strokes, but fail to provide an arrangement to enable the user to at least approximate the rolling motion made by the body of the user during leg kicks and arm strokes as would normally occur in water. The rolling motion of the body cannot be approximated in the prior art apparatus, since the body of the user from the hips to the head are support on a solid board or boards which are rotationally fixed in position.